Implications Unclear As Supreme Court Reviews Gay Marriage Cases

Linda McGregor, left, and Diane Marsh picked up their Washington state marriage license on Thursday.

Anna KingNorthwest News Network

Supporters of same-sex marriage in the Northwest are at once celebrating and downplaying the latest news from the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court announced Friday that it would review a ban on same-sex marriage in California, as well as a federal law that prohibits gays and lesbians from receiving federal spousal benefits.

Sasha Buchert with Basic Rights Oregon says it's not clear what a Supreme Court ruling would mean for the ban on same-sex marriage approved by Oregon voters in 2004.

"It's really difficult to speculate, and I think it's a rabbit's hole when you start thinking about all the different nuances involved with the court."

Buchert says her group is still deciding whether to start an initiative campaign to overturn Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage. Idaho voters put a ban on gay marriage in the state's constitution in 2006.

In Washington, the first legally-sanctioned same-sex marriages will begin on Sunday after voter approval last month.